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NOT HEARD OF... TIL NOW
Just wanted to pat myself on the back for finally finding a publisher for my pet project: a book about Essex Authors (Famous Essex Authors You Have Never Heard Of), writes subscriber Dee Gordon.
Although I have had seventeen non fiction books published (mostly local history about Essex and the East End of London), for some reason the publishers that knew me were wary of the idea of Essex and ‘Literature’ ... pretty insulting, I thought! This one was definitely something that I personally wanted to see published – as a fan of Essex, of books, and of authors and how they work, what motivates them, why they write, their writing journeys, and successes. We have had a lot of successful writers in Essex, dating back to the 17th century, and this was definitely a labour of love.
My favourites are two working class 20th century writers – Sheila Holland from Dagenham who produced hundreds of books for Mills and Boon and ended up as a tax exile in a castle on the Isle of Man – and R.D.Wingfield from Basildon who wrote the Jack Frost novels, subsequently turned into the television series with David Jason. Hardly household names!
Although now widowed and in my late seventies, I am already researching my next (commissioned) book, and I have come a long way from the teenager who wrote picture scripts for Mirabelle, Romeo and Marilyn in the 1960s. It is only since selling my recruitment business in 2000 that I have been able to take my writing seriously, and the work (which I don’t see as work...) fits well round my caring role for my autistic son. I also write the occasional nostalgic feature for magazines such as Best of British, Retro, Essex Life, and This England. Articles pay better, word for word, but it is not the same as seeing my book in a bookshop... and the point of these revelations? To encourage readers to never give up. Persistence pays off in the end. Find a genre that suits you, and I wish you luck. Famous Essex Authors You Have Never Heard Of is available from essex100.comor Amazon.